And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
Moses was brought up as Pharaoh's grandson and thoroughly instructed in all Egyptian learning, receiving the highest civil and military training until he was cultivated in mind and powerful in speech and action. Stephen set this fact within his rehearsal of God's dealings with His chosen people from Abraham to Solomon to vindicate himself against the charge of blasphemy and to show how that history pointed to Jesus. That palace education helped him in some respects, but by itself it did not qualify him to deliver and shepherd Israel, since royal learning could not supply the experience in hardship, patience, self-denial and forgetfulness of self that the work required. Much of that Egyptian wisdom had to be unlearned as foolishness under God's severest mental and moral discipline, while forty years of humble shepherd work softened his heart and taught him humility, meekness, faith and tender care. True wisdom is knowing and keeping what God has commanded, which is firmer and more far-reaching than learning from books apart from the Bible, so by faith Moses gave up learning, eloquence, wealth and honor rather than turn from God's people.
Moses' Egyptian Education
Moses was brought up in Pharaoh's household as the king's grandson and received the highest civil and military training, being thoroughly learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He became cultivated in mind and mighty in words and in deeds, powerful and forceful in speech and action. His learning, eloquence, and abilities did not hold him back, for by faith and connection with God he gave up Egypt's honors to do the work of delivering Israel. That royal education helped him in some respects, yet by itself it could not give him the qualities needed for his life's work.
His place in Pharaoh's family trained him for military command, where he showed superior skill and wisdom in warfare. The Egyptians regarded him as remarkable, he became a favorite with Egypt's armies, and in generalship he could not be surpassed by any man. God in special providence qualified him by this to stand at the head of the armies of Israel, turning preparation for a royal station into preparation for leading Israel. The decree against the Hebrew children was thus overruled to train their future leader.
His learning and position brought initiation into the religious mysteries of Egypt, yet he refused to join in heathen worship. His Egyptian learning did not itself supply what he later needed, for the statutes and judgments he taught Israel were what the Lord commanded. Keeping those laws was Israel's wisdom and understanding before the nations. Even with proficiency in all the learning of the Egyptians and with knowledge of God and revelation of God's purposes by visions, he did not know how to engrave and embroider for the building of the tabernacle.
Stephen's Historical Defense
Acts 7:22 belongs to Stephen's rehearsal of the history of God's chosen people from Abraham through generation to generation to Solomon, drawn from the national records of Israel and taking up its most impressive points to vindicate his cause against the charge of blasphemy before the council. It was part of his defense and of his final testimony, used to show the spiritual meaning of that history through Christ. He spoke it before hostile hearers under the direction of the Holy Spirit, in a clear, thrilling voice that held the assembly spellbound, so that its full significance depends on the occasion, time, and place of his address.
Like Christ's disciples and Peter, Stephen used Moses and the prophets in self-defense to testify about Christ, showing from the Old Testament how its testimony pointed to Jesus. His rehearsal displayed thorough knowledge of the Jewish economy and of its spiritual interpretation now made manifest through Christ.
Unlearning for God's Service
Moses' palace schooling helped him in some respects, but by itself it did not qualify him for the work appointed him in delivering and shepherding Israel. Thorough education in Egyptian wisdom as the king's grandson made him wise by Egyptian standards, yet royal learning and position could not replace needed experience in adversity, poverty, hardship, patience, self-denial, and forgetfulness of self in caring for those entrusted to him. His most valuable preparation came later as a shepherd, where he learned humility, meekness, faith, trust, a simple manner of life, and unwavering faith and constant trust in the Lord.
Trusting in his own abilities, he mistakenly thought his learning qualified him to deliver Israel. He tried to win his people's favor by avenging an injustice and defending an Israelite by killing an Egyptian, which ended in failure. That attempt showed he was then unfit to represent God's mercy and love and lacked the character needed to lead His people, teaching that successful service requires gentleness, goodness, and patience.
God in providence added forty years of caring for sheep and tender lambs, a humble work that softened his heart and prepared him to be a faithful shepherd of God's people and heritage. In nature and solitude he was taught humility, meekness, faith, trust, a simple manner of life, tender care, and patience and self-denial through hardship, becoming forgetful of self and caring for those entrusted to him. Solitude drew him closer to God and taught unwavering faith and constant trust in the Lord.
A large part of that Egyptian wisdom had to be unlearned and counted as foolishness, and its impression blotted out little by little under God's severest mental and moral discipline while minding sheep. It had made him wise only by Egyptian standards, instilled false theories and idolatrous rubbish of heathen lore with influences and impressions from what his eyes looked upon, and led him to magnify his own abilities and try to make advanced education take the place of a sound knowledge of God. Human learning, ability, and confidence cannot take the place of a sound knowledge of God, and wisdom and knowledge from Christ are more valuable.
True wisdom and understanding is knowing and keeping the statutes and judgments God commanded, for keeping those laws was Israel's wisdom before the nations, and Moses taught what the Lord commanded rather than what Egypt supplied. No knowledge is so firm, consistent, and far-reaching as that obtained from the word of God, which is the foundation of all true knowledge, expands and balances the mind beyond general information from books without connection to the Bible, and no science equals the science that reveals God's character. The failure of the world's wisdom was fully tested at the coming of Christ and weighed in the balances and found wanting because men did not know the true wisdom from the Source of all good, while it pleased God to save believers by the foolishness of preaching. Fitness for work comes only from the instruction and method of Jesus Christ, the only perfect Educator, and from the Spirit teaching spiritual things, not from words which man's wisdom teaches.
By faith and connection with God, Moses did not let learning, eloquence, prominence, wealth, power, and honors keep him from his work. Though cultivated in mind, renowned as a military leader, initiated into Egyptian religious mysteries which he refused to join in worship, and fitted for prominence, he gave up Egypt's honors rather than turn from God's people. He chose hardship with them over temporary sinful pleasure and chose faithful service for the lasting reward and honor God gives above Egypt's treasures.
Moses was brought up as Pharaoh's grandson and thoroughly instructed in all Egyptian learning, receiving the highest civil and military training until he was cultivated in mind and powerful in speech and action. Stephen set this fact within his rehearsal of God's dealings with His chosen people from Abraham to Solomon to vindicate himself against the charge of blasphemy and to show how that history pointed to Jesus. That palace education helped him in some respects, but by itself it did not qualify him to deliver and shepherd Israel, since royal learning could not supply the experience in hardship, patience, self-denial and forgetfulness of self that the work required. Much of that Egyptian wisdom had to be unlearned as foolishness under God's severest mental and moral discipline, while forty years of humble shepherd work softened his heart and taught him humility, meekness, faith and tender care. True wisdom is knowing and keeping what God has commanded, which is firmer and more far-reaching than learning from books apart from the Bible, so by faith Moses gave up learning, eloquence, wealth and honor rather than turn from God's people.
Moses' Egyptian Education
Moses was brought up in Pharaoh's household as the king's grandson and received the highest civil and military training, being thoroughly learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He became cultivated in mind and mighty in words and in deeds, powerful and forceful in speech and action. His learning, eloquence, and abilities did not hold him back, for by faith and connection with God he gave up Egypt's honors to do the work of delivering Israel. That royal education helped him in some respects, yet by itself it could not give him the qualities needed for his life's work.
His place in Pharaoh's family trained him for military command, where he showed superior skill and wisdom in warfare. The Egyptians regarded him as remarkable, he became a favorite with Egypt's armies, and in generalship he could not be surpassed by any man. God in special providence qualified him by this to stand at the head of the armies of Israel, turning preparation for a royal station into preparation for leading Israel. The decree against the Hebrew children was thus overruled to train their future leader.
His learning and position brought initiation into the religious mysteries of Egypt, yet he refused to join in heathen worship. His Egyptian learning did not itself supply what he later needed, for the statutes and judgments he taught Israel were what the Lord commanded. Keeping those laws was Israel's wisdom and understanding before the nations. Even with proficiency in all the learning of the Egyptians and with knowledge of God and revelation of God's purposes by visions, he did not know how to engrave and embroider for the building of the tabernacle.
Stephen's Historical Defense
Acts 7:22 belongs to Stephen's rehearsal of the history of God's chosen people from Abraham through generation to generation to Solomon, drawn from the national records of Israel and taking up its most impressive points to vindicate his cause against the charge of blasphemy before the council. It was part of his defense and of his final testimony, used to show the spiritual meaning of that history through Christ. He spoke it before hostile hearers under the direction of the Holy Spirit, in a clear, thrilling voice that held the assembly spellbound, so that its full significance depends on the occasion, time, and place of his address.
Like Christ's disciples and Peter, Stephen used Moses and the prophets in self-defense to testify about Christ, showing from the Old Testament how its testimony pointed to Jesus. His rehearsal displayed thorough knowledge of the Jewish economy and of its spiritual interpretation now made manifest through Christ.
Unlearning for God's Service
Moses' palace schooling helped him in some respects, but by itself it did not qualify him for the work appointed him in delivering and shepherding Israel. Thorough education in Egyptian wisdom as the king's grandson made him wise by Egyptian standards, yet royal learning and position could not replace needed experience in adversity, poverty, hardship, patience, self-denial, and forgetfulness of self in caring for those entrusted to him. His most valuable preparation came later as a shepherd, where he learned humility, meekness, faith, trust, a simple manner of life, and unwavering faith and constant trust in the Lord.
Trusting in his own abilities, he mistakenly thought his learning qualified him to deliver Israel. He tried to win his people's favor by avenging an injustice and defending an Israelite by killing an Egyptian, which ended in failure. That attempt showed he was then unfit to represent God's mercy and love and lacked the character needed to lead His people, teaching that successful service requires gentleness, goodness, and patience.
God in providence added forty years of caring for sheep and tender lambs, a humble work that softened his heart and prepared him to be a faithful shepherd of God's people and heritage. In nature and solitude he was taught humility, meekness, faith, trust, a simple manner of life, tender care, and patience and self-denial through hardship, becoming forgetful of self and caring for those entrusted to him. Solitude drew him closer to God and taught unwavering faith and constant trust in the Lord.
A large part of that Egyptian wisdom had to be unlearned and counted as foolishness, and its impression blotted out little by little under God's severest mental and moral discipline while minding sheep. It had made him wise only by Egyptian standards, instilled false theories and idolatrous rubbish of heathen lore with influences and impressions from what his eyes looked upon, and led him to magnify his own abilities and try to make advanced education take the place of a sound knowledge of God. Human learning, ability, and confidence cannot take the place of a sound knowledge of God, and wisdom and knowledge from Christ are more valuable.
True wisdom and understanding is knowing and keeping the statutes and judgments God commanded, for keeping those laws was Israel's wisdom before the nations, and Moses taught what the Lord commanded rather than what Egypt supplied. No knowledge is so firm, consistent, and far-reaching as that obtained from the word of God, which is the foundation of all true knowledge, expands and balances the mind beyond general information from books without connection to the Bible, and no science equals the science that reveals God's character. The failure of the world's wisdom was fully tested at the coming of Christ and weighed in the balances and found wanting because men did not know the true wisdom from the Source of all good, while it pleased God to save believers by the foolishness of preaching. Fitness for work comes only from the instruction and method of Jesus Christ, the only perfect Educator, and from the Spirit teaching spiritual things, not from words which man's wisdom teaches.
By faith and connection with God, Moses did not let learning, eloquence, prominence, wealth, power, and honors keep him from his work. Though cultivated in mind, renowned as a military leader, initiated into Egyptian religious mysteries which he refused to join in worship, and fitted for prominence, he gave up Egypt's honors rather than turn from God's people. He chose hardship with them over temporary sinful pleasure and chose faithful service for the lasting reward and honor God gives above Egypt's treasures.